Work

Horizontal bearing capacity of RC piles in cohesive soil: Numerical and theoretical modelling

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: This paper proposes a new method for computing the undrained lateral capacity of Reinforced Concrete (RC) piles in cohesive soils, overcoming inherent conservativeness of classical Broms’s theory. The proposed method relies on a new theoretical distribution for the limiting soil resistance, simple enough to derive closed-form solutions of the undrained lateral capacity, for different restraints at the pile head and for all possible failure mechanisms.The results of advanced 3D FE analyses are used as benchmark both to identify the main factors governing the ultimate response of RC and to validate the proposed theoretical method. To this purpose, the Concrete damage Plasticity model is adopted to reproduce the nonlinear behaviour of concrete, which is an essential ingredient when modelling pile behaviour under horizontal loading. FE analyses show that, contrary to what observed for rigid and elastic piles, the ultimate response of RC piles relies on the soil strength mobilised at relatively shallow depths, where the normalised lateral soil resistance basically depends on the sole adhesion factor.Due to their simplicity and reliability, the proposed closed-form solutions are readily applicable in the design of single piles, as well as in the computation of three-dimensional interaction domains of pile groups and piled-rafts.

Source: Computers and Geotechnics

DOI: 10.1016/j.compgeo.2024.106638

Authors: Francesco Potini, Riccardo Conti

Institutions: University Niccolò Cusano, University of Rome Tor Vergata

Language: English

Topic: Geotechnical Engineering and Soil Mechanics

Subfield: Civil and Structural Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,580

Funder: Regione Lazio